Filing cabinet for mimeograph stencils



March 23, 1937. H. W- ELLIOT 2,074,606

FILING CABINET FOR MIMEOGRAPH STENCILS Filed Jan. 28, 1956 y HENRY WEL/Jar INVEN-ron j ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1937 PATENT or Fics.

('DABINESI4 FOR NUMEOGRAPH STEENCILS Henry W. Elliot, New York, N.,Y.

Applcatibn January 28, 1936, Serial No. 61,1151* 1 Claim.

My invention relates to cabinets for iiling mimeograph stencils" and similar articles having holes at one endl for hanging them on pins or rods..

5 Ordinary mirneograph stencils have specially treated surfaces. which are somewhat adhesive and soft, so that they can be easily damaged if such stencils are permitted to rub against each other or laid one on top of the other. Ordinary 10 letter files, therefore, are not suitable for filing stencils.

In order to prevent rubbing of the stencil sheets against each other and sticking together, I provide a cabinet with horizontally arranged 15 pins on which the stencils are mounted by hanging in vertical direction, so that each stencil is individually supported and is relieved from the Weight of other sheets. The stencils are prevented from sliding ofr" these pins by enlarged heads on the ends of the pins. These heads are smaller, however, than the enlarged openings at the inner ends of the elongated holes with which stencils are provided, so that the stencils can be mounted on the pins or removed there- 25 from by raising them on the pins until the enlarged openings register with the heads of the pins. The mimeograph stencils have four such elongated holes at one end, in the shape of inverted keyholes, and I preferably use the outer 30 holes for hanging the stencils on the pins I also provide a portable U-shaped member tting in the two inner holes in the stencils. This member is used for gathering and removing a desired number of stencils if it is necessary to 35 remove a stencil from behind the others in the cabinet. This member may remain in its place all the time in the cabinet, being ready for use when required.

In order to facilitate handling of the stencils 40 on the rack formed by the two pins, I mount these pins on a separate board or frame, which can be kept against the rear wall of the cabinet by a resilient latch. The board is provided with a suitable device for hanging it on a wall or on 45 the outer side of the cabinet so as to keep the sheets supported vertically, not laying one on top of the other.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in 50 which- Fig. 1 is a front View of my cabinet with the front door in open position, Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

55 Fig. 4 is a view of a modified construction of the provided with a locking' latch` 4 A board( 5 is placed in the box I against its rear wall and is provided with a plate 6 attached to the upper side of the board. The end of the plate 6 is bent around a ring 'I which serves for handling the board and hanging it outside on a suitable nail or hook on a wall. For the same purpose a hole 8 is provided in the plate. The end of the plate 6 does not reach the upper Wall of the box when the plate is placed on the lower wall as shown in Fig. 1. It is held in its operative position against the rear wall by the free end of a spring latch 9 attached by the front end to the front portion of the top wall of the box. This spring is depressed against the wall by the users nger when it is desired to remove the board from the box.

The overall dimensions of the board 5 are such that it can be easily moved in and out of the box I. The spring 9, extending downwardly toward the rear of the box, becomes deflected upward by the pressure of the plate 6 when the board is placed in the box, snapping back into the locking position when the board rests against the rear wall of the box.

A transverse plate I is attached to the board in its upper portion, for instance, by rivets II. This plate has two pins I2 permanently attached to it by their rear ends. The distance between these pins corresponds to the distance between the outer holes I3 in stencil sheets I4. 'Ihese holes, as provided in ordinary mimeograph stencils, are of the shape of inverted keyholes, having enlarged openings at their inner ends. The pins I2 are of a thickness permitting them to slide into the outer narrow portions of the holes I3. The ends of the pins are attened in horizontal direction thereby forming enlargements I5 preventing the stencil sheets from sliding off the ends of the pins. These enlargements or heads pass, however, through the larger openings I at the inner ends of the holes I3, so that the sheets can be easily removed from the pins by raising them until the enlarged portions I6 of the holes register with the heads I5.

A special device is used for removing simultaneously any number of sheets in order to get access to a certain sheet behind the others. This device consists of a bar I'I with pins or rods I8 of the same thickness as the pins I2 but without enlargements on the ends. These pins extend in a parallel direction at a distance from each other equal to the distance between the inner holes I9 of the stencil sheets. This U-shaped member formed of the bar II and rods I8 may be kept at the bottom of the cabinet until needed, or it may be placed in the holes in a row of stencils as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

With this arrangement any desired stencil on the rack can be easily exposed for inspection or removal. For this purpose it is only necessary to shift all the front stencils on the U-rnember, raise them, holding the bai` I'I in hand, and slide the stencils oi the pins I2, passing the enlarged ends through the larger holes I6. Such handling of the stencils can be accomplished more conveniently if the board 5 is removed from the box I and hung on a suitable nail or hook. It may be also hung on a hook 20 supported on the door 2. The latter, of course, must be then placed in the open position. The hole 8 is used for hanging the rack on the hook 20.

The width and height of the box and board 5 must be such as to allow the stencils to hang freely, leaving a clearance from the bottom of the box as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A modified construction is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Here the pins I2 are fastened to a plate 2| having an integrally formed lug 22 with a hole 23 for hanging the rack on a nail or hook. The ends of the plate 2I are rounded oi into a tubular shape so as to hold the ends of a frame 24. The latter takes the place of the board 5. It may be provided with an additional brace 25.

It is understood, of course, that my invention may be further modified without departing from its spirit.

I claim as my invention:

In a filing cabinet for mimeograph stencils, a board adapted to be removably placed against the rear wall in the cabinet and having pins for stencils, a resilient member attached to the front portion of the cabinet and extending rearwardly into the cabinet with its free end extending gradually away from the wall, the free end of the member being adapted to engage the edge portion of the board thereby retaining the same against the Wall of the cabinet, and being adapted to be manually released for removing the board from the cabinet.

HENRY W. ELLIOT. 

